Clasp for garment-supporters.



No. 888,107. PATENTED MAY'19, 1908. G. E. MELLEN. CLASP FOR GARMENTSUPPORTERS.

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GEORGE E. MELLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed. July 27, 1907. Serial No. 385,835.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. MELLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps forGarment-Supporters, of which the following is a description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which corresponding letters of reference in thedifferent figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective claspfor garment supporters, more especially adapted for supporting hose,which shall be so constructed as to enable it to be readily manipulatedfor the purpose of inserting and removing the fabric while at the sametime it may be adjusted to fabrics of varying thicknesses so as to gripthem with firmness and certainty.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination of elementshereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodyingthe features of my invention in which a single clamp is shown, theclamping lever being open, Fig. 2, is a like view showing the parts asthey would appear when in a locked position, Fig. 3, is a transversesectional view taken upon the line -3, Fig. 2, viewed in the directionof the arrow there shown, and Fig. 4, is a perspective View of amodified form of support showing a clamping mechanism at each end.

Referring to the drawings, a, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, represents a sheet-metalplate having a slot 5 therein for the purpose of attaching a tapethereto for connecting the plate to and suspending it from the person orclothing of the wearer. Formed in the plate and extending upwardly fromthe lower end thereof, is a notch c of suflicient width to receive afold of cloth of the thickest material which the user would be likely towear. Near the lower end of the limb (Z of the plate is pivotallyattached by means of a rivet e, an elbowshaped locking-lever, the shortarm of which forms a jaw f, while the long arm 9 is adapted to abutagainst a stop h, cut and bent outwardly from the face of the plate a.That portion of the limb i upon the lower end of the plate is preferablyroughened or serrated Within the notch c as shown at j, Figs. 1 and 2,and upon the outer face of said limb is secured by means of a rivet 7c,a plate Z adapted to slightly overlap the jaw when the latter is in alocked position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The plate Zis preferably madeof metal and between it and the limb 'i of the plate a, is interposed ablock wt preferably formed from rubber, cork or other slightly yieldingmaterial having a frictional surface. The block m is rigidly attached tothe plate Z by means of pins n or in any other approved way by which itmay be so secured and the rivet 7c is so connected as to permit theparts m, Z, to be rotated and adjusted to any desired position in whichthey may be held by frictional action. The rivet is is eccentricallylocated with reference to the plate Z and block m, so that the edges ofthe latter, respectively, are at varying distances from the axis, asmore clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The object of this construction is to render the clamping mechanismadjustable so as to adapt it to varying thicknesses of cloth. If agarment of thin material is to be supported, the arm g is moved into theposition shown in Fig. 1, when a fold of the fabric to be clamped isdrawn into the notch c. Said arm is then moved against the stop h, asshown in Fig. 2, when the jaw is caused to abut against or stand inclose proximity to the block or abutment m and between the parts Z and'Z-the block m being made thicker than the j aw f to prevent the latterfrom cutting the intervening fabric. Should the latter be thin, theblock m may be turned uponits axis so as to present the face of greatesteccentricity towards the jaw as shown in the drawings or if thick, saidblock maybe adjusted accordingly to conform to the varying thickness ofthe fabric to be clamped. From the foregoing, it will be seen that whena downward stress is placed upon the fabric, it tends to pull the jawdownwardly and as this movement is resisted by the stop h, it followsthat the fabric will remain firmly clamped in place until released bymoving the arm 9 away from the stop.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in which the lower portion of theplate 0 with its clamping mechanism, is identical with that shown in theother figures and is, therefore, correspondingly lettered, but, insteadof the slot Z) at the top, a notch p is substituted with clampingmembers generally designated by 9,1 and s, mounted upon the limbs t,u,said clamping members being identical in construction and arrangementwith those upon the other end of the plate.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1. Agarment support of the class described, comprising a plate having-anotch extending inwardly from one edge thereof for the reception of afabric, a clamping jaw pivoted upon one side of said notch and arrangedto extend across the same and an adjustable abutment eccentricallypivoted upon the opposite side of said notch. v

2. A garment support in which is combined a plate having a notch for thereception of a fabric, means for connecting said plate to a point ofsupport, a clamping jaw pivoted upon one side of said support, means forlimiting its movement, an abutment having different working faces uponits edge to engage said jaw, said faces being at different distancesfrom a pivotal support and means for pivotally supporting the same uponthe plate with a frictional contact to cause said abutment to remain inany position to which it may be arbitrarily adjusted.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 22d day of July 1907.

GEORGE E. MELLEN.

Witnesses D. H. FLETCHER, CARRIE E. JORDAN.

